Crimean News No 10
Crimean Tatars from Bakchisaray will not Vote for Leftist Parties
The Role of Libraries in the Changing World
Construction of the Gas Pipes Continues
Crimean Tatars from Bakchisaray will not Vote for Leftist Parties
On June 2 the Mejlis* asked the inhabitants of the Bakchisaray region not to support the presidential candidates** of Ukraine from extreme left parties.
Is Canada Ready to Help?
On June 3 the Chairman of the Bakchisaray regional Mejlis Ilmi Umerov met with the First Secretary of the Canadian Embassy to Ukraine Bruce Steen. They discussed the political situation in the region and possibilities for co-operation. The Canadian Government is financing two projects in the Bakchisaray region. The first project is the revival of embroidery using gold, the second one is the reestablishment of Crimean Tatar national wrestling called "Kuresh".
In the near future the Canadian Government will possibly support a project involving the creation of the Business-Center in Bakchisaray region. Bruce Steen said that he is ready to consider the project designed to encourage the participation of Crimean Tatars in the presidential elections of Ukraine.
Information Service of the Bakchisaray Regional Mejlis, newspaper "Golos Kryma" ("Voice of Crimea"), No 25 (292) 18th June 1999, p. 2.
Our note.
*The body of national self-government of Crimean Tatars of Bakchisaray region.
** The Presidential elections will be held in October 1999.
"This Help will be Adequate…"
8-12th of June the representatives of a number of international organizations and the Ukrainian Government visited Crimea. This visit was part of a project called "Crimean Development and Integration Program (UNDIPC)"*. The representatives were the Ambassadors of Canada, India and Switzerland, the First Secretary of the Embassy of France, Advisors of the Embassy of Denmark, Italy, the Second Secretary of the Embassy of Norway, coordinator of the UN system, permanent Representative of the UNDP, the Main Technical Advisor of the UNDIPC, representative of the OSCE mission, Head of the "TIKA"** Crimean branch, as well as Vice-Premier of Ukraine and Chairman of the Ukrainian State Committee. Pedro Pablo Villanueva, the Permanent Representative of the UNDP, said during the meeting that in Crimea right now we have all the representatives who have a lot of experience in dealing with the problems in multi-ethnic states. The first phase of the project is now complete. The second phase of the project will concentrate on the economic issues.
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The representatives of the international organizations, along with the members of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine and members of the Council of Ministers of Crimea, visited a Crimean Tatar settlement Sari-Su (Belogorsk region) where the opening of a business center took place. They also visited a Crimean Tatar neighborhood in Bakchisaray, a Crimean Tatar school, and a hospital in the Kamenka settlement (Simferopol), whose construction was paid by the UNDIPC project.
The Government of Ukraine intends to contribute some money to this project. The World Society could not come up with any solutions to the problems of all the formerly deported people. In any case, by the time this program is completed, 3.5 million dollars will be spent to aid the Crimean Tatars.
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During the visit, most of the European nations that participated, as well as Canada, showed an interest in helping the Crimean region. The Head of the UNDP (Geneva Office) and Coordinators of the Program in Crimea stated that so far $1.5 million has accumulated in the accounts of UNDP. This money will be used to improve the live styles of the formerly deported people. Norway, Switzerland, Italy, Canada, Sweden and Netherlands have agreed to donate 2 million dollars to the UNDIPC. UNDIPC plans to fund the construction of water, electric, and gas pipes and the construction of the schools and hospitals.
Lentara Khalilova, newspaper "Golos Kryma" ("Voice of Crimea"), No 25 (292) 18th June 1999, p. 1.
Our note.
*This Program started in 1995 in Crimea.
** TIKA – Turkish International Cooperation and Development Agency.
Citizenship Problems
The "round table" meeting on citizenship problems took place in Yalta. It was attended by members of UNHCR, several members of the Verkhovnaya Rada (Parliament) of Ukraine, Committee on Human Rights, National Minorities and Inter-Ethnic Relations as well as the President of Ukraine.
More then three years ago there were 25 thousand people who lived in Crimean and yet did not have citizenship. Today thanks to the efforts of UN and Ukraine this problem no longer exists on the peninsula. The next step is granting citizenship to people from Central Asia. Here the Agreement with the government of Uzbekistan brings the real results. Of the 62 thousand Crimean Tatars, almost half used the quick procedure of citizenship transfer. However, this procedure will only be available until January 1, 2000.
Vladimir Bolotin, "12 Minut Novostey" (12 Minutes of News), "Crimea" State TV and Broadcasting Corporation.
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On June 14 an inhabitant of the Samarkand region of Uzbekistan Reshide Izzetova asked the Mejlis to help her. She decided to take advantage of the Agreement between Ukraine and Uzbekistan by renouncing her Uzbek citizenship and accepting a temporary identification card, which officially made her a "stateless person". She then decided to go to her motherland (Crimea) where her family currently resides. Reshide bought a ticket for a plane which would take her from Tashkent to Simferopol and passed, without any problems, all the procedures in the airport of Tashkent (Uzbekistan). During the customs examination in the airport of Simferopol, Reshide was asked to show her identification card. Reshide was then told that she was to be deported back to Uzbekistan immediately because she was trespassing the state border of Ukraine. The customs officials did not pay attention to the arguments that her family has been living in Crimea since 1989. The customs officials did not allow her to call the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People or her relatives, who would be able to help her. Her request to be arrested in order to give her ample time to explain the situation was denied. Reshide then said that she was willing to pay if she was a trespasser of the state border of Ukraine. One of the officials responded by demanding that she pay $100 in order to stay in Crimea. When Reshide refused, the customs officials forcibly "escorted" her to the plane that was going back to Uzbekistan and gave her a ticket, which was "free of charge for deportation". The Consul of the Ukrainian Embassy in Uzbekistan told Reshide that they are willing to give her a Visa if her husband sends an invitation from Crimea. Only then could she go to Crimea. The Mejlis reported that another Crimean Tatar was similarly dealt with at the Ukrainian airport and sent back to Uzbekistan.
On June 15 the representatives of Mejlis in Central Asia asked the Embassy of Ukraine in Uzbekistan for an explanation. They were told that there is a Decree of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine according to which no stateless person may visit Ukraine without an invitation and a Visa. Uzbekistan is partly responsible for this dilemma because it did not bother to inform the Crimean Tatars living in Uzbekistan of this problem after signing the Agreement with Ukraine,
Information Service of the Representation of the Mejlis of Crimean Tatar People on Central Asia.
Confrontation in Bakchisaray
A large number of Crimean Tatars formed a picket line in front of the building of the Bakchisaray regional administration and demanded that the building of school #1 be converted into a Crimean Tatar school. The picket line remained near the administration building for more than a week. At first only the Crimean Tatars picketed near the building. Later, however, they were joined by the Russian parents and teachers.
Marina Smirnova, newspaper "Krymskaya Pravda" ("Crimean Truth"), No 108 (22280), 16th June 1999, p. 1.
The Librarians Forum
The "Libraries and Associations in the changing world: new technologies and forms of co-operation" conference ended in Sudak. The conference was sponsored by the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions. The participants talked about the informational products and services, automated systems, programs, production of CDs, and publications.
Ludmila Obuhovskaya, newspaper "Krymskaya Pravda" ("Crimean Truth"), No 108 (22280), 16th June 1999, p. 4.
The Role of Libraries in the Changing World
On June 9 participants of the International Library Conference from Moscow, Kiev, Uzbekistan, Bashkortostan, Chuvashia, Kazakhstan, and Kirgizstan visited the newly rebuilt building of Ismail Gasprinskiy Republican Crimean Tatar Library in Simferopol. They watched the exhibition of rare books and took part in the work of "round table". The Crimean Tatar library recently received some new and rare publications such as, Destan (Legend) "Ural Batir", the history of more then 5 thousands years, songs of Bashkir people, "The Collection of Haddis (Aphorisms of Holy Muhammad), books about Amir Timur, Babur, and Novoi.
Ibraim Abdullaev, newspaper newspaper "Golos Kryma" ("Voice of Crimea"), No 25 (292) 18th June 1999, p. 2.
"Children of the Internet"
Yet another seminar was organized by the International Library Conference, which focused on the use of the Internet for education. Crimean libraries remain behind most others when it comes having access to the Internet. A number of librarians and teachers from Moscow, Saratov, Kiev, and Ufa gave interesting speeches at the seminar. Several computer specialists from Canada, and South Africa took part in the seminar as well. A Representative of the Canadian Parliament Library said, "The Internet is a very interesting idea because people living in different countries can use the Internet to exchange knowledge and skills with each other." One of the organizers of the seminar, the Director of the "Crimean Tatar Initiative" (Simferopol) Ayder Seitosmanov, mentioned that computer classes are already available at the Crimean Tatar school in the Stary Krym town. The web site of this school can be found on the Internet.
"Haberler" ("News") TV program Crimean Tatar Redaction, "Crimea" State TV and Broadcasting Company.
The Street Names
The Yalta town administration has decided to name some of the new streets in Ay-Vasil, a Crimean Tatar settlement, after famous Crimean Tatars. The name of Noman Chelebi-Dzhikhan, the great Crimean Tatar poet, who was executed in 1918 has now been immortalized. Another street received the name of a hero of World War II, a Polish partisan Akmolla Adamanov, who perished in a Nazi concentration camp. One of the streets in Poland is already named after him and now his name will be seen in Yalta as well.
Svetlana Suhanova, newspaper "Krymskaya Pravda" ("Crimean Truth"), No 106 (22278), 12th June 1999, p. 2.
Construction of the Gas Pipes Continues
Sergey Kunizin, the Prime Minister of the Crimean Government visited several sections of a gas line called "Dzhankoy-Feodosia-Kerch". In order to see the entire pipe, which is 260 km long, one would have to use a helicopter. The first section that was inspected was located near the Dzhankoy town. Construction is proceeding as planned. The success is evident, but there are some problems as well. There is not enough money to pay for the construction and there is a deficit of diesel fuel.
"Volna" ("Wave") TV News Service "Chernomorskaya" ) ("Black Sea") TV Corporation.
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Solar generator
"Karpaty" is the first health resort in Yalta to acquire a solar generator. This was one of the projects of the TACIS Program. According to the specialists, the technology of this unique project will save 30 tons of fuel. That, however, is not the only advantage of the solar generator, it also provides hot water to 150 rooms. The solar generators take up more than eight thousand square meters, which is actually a pretty small area for an industrial sized generator.
Galina Gromik, "12 Minut Novostey" (12 Minutes of News), "Crimea" State TV and Broadcasting Corporation.